How and when did you discover CrossFit?
7 years ago when I was in the last summer of my clinical rotation for physical therapy, my instructor jokingly said, “If you want to pass your clinical you will need to do CrossFit. Haha just kidding…No, but really!” The PT clinic owned a box across the driveway, so I had literally no excuse. It was the beginning of my journey! During the past 7 years I’ve moved to quite a few cities (from Bangor, ME to Jacksonville, FL) and I’ve had the pleasure of finding CrossFit communities in each location.
How has CrossFit affected you since you started?
Gosh…where to begin. I have grown physically, mentally, and emotionally during my journey with CrossFit. I initially began attending for my own physical fitness, then as motivation to stay strong for my patients so I could perform physically demanding transfers with them while they were in rehab for their injuries. Now, I attend for the community, to push my limits physically, and for the mental challenge. I haven’t been consistent all 7 years, but I keep coming back. There’s a magic with seeing a workout that looks impossible, then being able to finish and chip away one rep at a time. This lifestyle of constantly varied fitness has taught me to never underestimate my abilities and to be as positive with myself as I am with other people. I once heard this saying, “Your brain quits when you are only at 20% of your total capacity” and it has taught me that I often put limits on myself because of fear of failure. Here at CrossFit, the goal is failure. We chase failure to see where we can grow, so it has been an amazing process for me on so many levels.
What class do you normally attend?
5:15pm
What are your short and long term goals?
Short term – handstands & strict pull ups; Long term – muscle ups!
What’s your favorite WOD/movement?
Rowing, back squats, and snatches
What’s your LEAST favorite WOD/movement?
Toes to bar – getting better but ooof.
What is one interesting fact many people don’t know about you?
I’m the oldest of 5 kids (organized chaos growing up!) and I love the outdoors. I had the chance to study & live in Ireland for 6 months during college!